The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for reclaiming tobacco from rejected cigarettes.
From European Patent Specification 0 192 372, a method and an apparatus for ejecting tobacco from filter cigarettes is known. This apparatus features a hopper for rejected cigarettes, a cigarette transport means comprising a fluted drum turning about its center axis and having a plurality of fluted depressions regularly distributed about its periphery, means for restraining single cigarettes, means for supplying a jet of compressed air, collector means for receiving the ejected tobacco and separate collector means for receiving the cigarette wrappers (tubes) and means for coordinating movements of the means of the apparatus. With the aid of these means, the filter cigarettes arriving from the hopper are transported singly to the fluted drum which transports them further by rotating. By means of a movable block having adapters suitable to grip the filter tips of the cigarettes, at least one cigarette located on the periphery of the fluted drum is gripped. Compressed air is blown through the filter cigarette so that the tobacco is ejected from the cigarette tube and transported to corresponding tobacco collector means. The cigarette tubes and the associated filter tips, together with the filter, are transported by the advancement of the fluted drum to a corresponding further collector means. With this apparatus and its method of operation, difficulties are experienced in coordinating the movements of the various means and gripping the rejected cigarettes, due to the longitudinal travel movements and rotary movements of the fluted drum and adapters. In addition, the working capacity of this apparatus is not satisfactory for many applications.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,799 further devices for reclaiming tobacco from rejected cigarettes are known. In the apparatus according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,799 at least one further fluted drum is provided, and arranged to run in parallel at some distance away from the center-axis of the first drum. This second fluted drum turns in the opposite direction to that of the first such drum. Coordination of the two drums turning in opposing directions enables the cigarettes to be held at specific locations so that the tobacco can be ejected by means of a jet of compressed air. A third such drum can be provided which impinges the filter cigarettes with compressed air to loosen the tobacco filler. In German patent 11 21 522, the apparatus also comprises two drums turning in opposite directions, which are located with their axes parallel and which are fluted on the periphery so that each flute receives a single cigarette. Means are also provided for directing a jet of air against the tobacco in the cigarette. A drum can be provided which coordinates with the flutes of the drum in succession with rotary drum movement so that the compressed air can be directed by tubing into the tobacco of each cigarette as indexed. These tubes can have the form of hollow needles which can be shifted against the cigarette tube at right angles to the center-line of the cigarettes in the flutes so that these needles also constitute means for restraining the cigarettes. The cigarette tubes, the tobacco, and any filter tips provided, are collected in separate containers.